Non-active metal for use in storage batteries.



UNTTnn STaTns PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY HERBERT LLOYD, OF GERMANTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR.

TO ELECTRIC STORAGE BATTERY COMPANY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENN- SYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

NON=ACTlVE M ETAL FOR USE EN STORAGE BATTERIES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 713,568, dated November 11, 1902.

Application filed June 29,1900. Serial No. 22,024. (No specimens.)

To all whom it may concern: this invention the antimonious lead which BeitknownthatLI-IENRYHERBERTLLOYD, has been cast is then subjected to repeated a subject of Her Majesty the Queen of Great cold-rolling or equivalent forging, and the re- Britain, residing at Germantown, in the snlt upon it of the rolling is to materially county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsyl change its characteristics and to make it use- T 55 vania, have invented a certain new and useful ful for storage batteries in a waythat it was Non-Active Metal for Use in and in Connecnever useful before, and, further, to make tion with Storage Batteries, of which the folpossible the production of types of batteries lowing is a specification. characterized by lightness, durability, and

One object of the present invention is to strength, which could not heretofore be made. 60 provide a metal characterized by toughness, For example, extremely light plates could not smoothness, resiliency, and great strength in be made on cast antimonious-lead supports proportion to weight and adapted to resist because of the weight of the latter necessary when applied in connection with storage batfor sufficient mechanical strength. Oonseteries the action of such acids as are usually quently such plates were made on pure-lead 65 employed even when accentuated by electrolsupports, which were corroded or formed, ysis. more especially near the termiuals,which thus To this and other ends hereinafter set forth were detached. However,by the use of-rolled the invention, stated in general terms, comantimonious-lead supports such light plates prises non-active metal consisting of rolled can now be satisfactorily made. The effect 70 antimonious lead. of the rolling upon the cast antimonious lead The non-active metal may be used as a linis to entirely change its character, to remove ing for the tanks or even as a material from it from the class of brittle metals, and to trans which to construct the tanks in which the fer it to the class of metals of which sheets of plates are mounted and in which the normal hard rolled copper are a good eXamplethat 75 action of the battery takes place, or, in other is to say, the rolling replaces brittleness by words, it may be used to make a holder for elasticity combined with stiffness. It rethe electrolyte. Thesame propertiesor qualiplaces small mechanical strength and great ties, or some of them, which especially adapt weight by great mechanical strength for little it for these uses also adapt it for use as maweight, and it resists tendency to corrosion 8o terial from which to make the supporting grid when in use. The term non-active metal or holder for the active material or material is used to describe a metal which when subto become active of the plates. The non-acjected to the action that takes place in a stortive metal may be made by melting lead and age-battery cell is not materially affected 5 antimouy,ofwhichlatter there may be present thereby, in contradistinction to metals which 85 from five to fifteen per cent, by weight, more under like circumstances undergo changes or less, (in actual practice excellent results which are referred to as conversion into achave been obtained in the use of substantially tive material. As a holder for the electrotwelve per cent, by weight, of antimony,) and lyte it possesses the mechanical strength 0 then casting the alloy. This has been done which is lacking in pure lead, and it also re- 90 before, but the resulting metal when placed sists the action of the acid better than pure in the electrolyte of a storage battery corlead would do and better than cast antimoroded. Moreover, it was brittle, not flexible nious lead would do, and it is much lighter nor resilient, and was comparatively heavy than either for the same strength.

in proportion to its mechanical strength, so Having thus described the invention, what 5 that it could not be obtained or used in the I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters form of sheets of that degree of thinness Patent, is which is desirable for the support of many 1. A non-active metal for use in and in contypes of plates and also for the linings of many nection with storage batteries and having the types of receptacles. However, according to qualities of toughness, smoothness, resiliency, zoo

and great mechanical strength in proportion In testimony whereof I have hereunto to its weight, said metal comprising lead cast signed my name.

with substantially twelve per cent. by wei 'ht Y ofantimony and rolled in a cold state, as sp ci- HENRY HERBERT LLOYD 5 fied. In presence of- 2. Lining metal composed of cast antimo- K. M. GILLIGAN,

nious lead rolled in a cold state, as specified. WV. J. JACKSON. 

